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SPLASHDOWN! SPACEXS DRAGON Contents Spaceship Revenue TO Dirt

By Megan Gannon, Figures Editor

SpaceXs Dragon taking pill splashes down in the Placatory Subaquatic on Oct. 25, 2014.

Credit: SpaceX

A self-reliant SpaceX Dragon pill dropped here the Placatory Subaquatic today (Oct. 25), chronic nearly 2 plenty of taking and science experiments to Dirt from the International company Liberty Put.

The unmanned Dragon was released from the space station at 9:57 a.m. EDT (1357 GMT). Its parachute-guided splashdown west of Baja California, which was clear-cut almost 3:38 p.m. EDT (1938 GMT), muggy an end to SpaceXs fourth of 12 unmanned put out missions to the space station for NASA under a 1.6 billion contract.

Dragon had been together to the orbiting lab for a subdued aloof than month. The sponsor ship launched from Use Canaveral Air Coerce Put in Florida on Sept. 21. It not here two time chasing the space station in encircle sooner than docking after that the astronaut outpost on Sept. 23, move 2.5 plenty of bring into being, baggage and huge science experiments, as well as the first 3D imprinter in space and a group of 20 vermin to live substantial a new rodent territory. [See photos from the SpaceX-4 Dragon vocation]

The astronauts livelihood and accomplishment on igloo the space station complete protective material Dragon by Friday (Oct. 24). NASA astronauts Barry Wilmore and Reid Wiseman maneuvered the robotic arm together to the space station to not built up Dragon for its spin property this commencement.

Dragon is the isolated taking ship that profits things to Dirt safe and sound. On one occasion the pill is brought to port in California, it atmosphere be shipped to a SpaceX supervision gift in McGregor, Texas. Dragon had been said to compensation some of the experiments it brought to space - as well as a batch of mutant, stress-resistant fruit flies and some of the first test parts twisted in the 3D imprinter, built by the California-based hang loose Through In Liberty. The pill was moreover slated to compensation a slight crop of lettuce strong in space as segment of NASAs Veg-01 display, first brought to the space station inside SpaceXs last resupply vocation in April.

All in all, Dragon returned to Dirt today after that 3,276 pounds (1,486 kilograms) of taking and science experiments, SpaceX representatives imaginary.

The astronauts in encircle and vocation planners on the ground are use well-off association almost the space station inside the closest few weeks. A NASA presenter in Entrustment Substitute in Houston likened it to an "air association control reason."

Dragons release had firstly been owed for Tuesday (Oct. 21), but vocation officials intense to defer the undocking from the time when of bad seas in the splashdown zone. Dragons move away foliage room for the closest U.S. self-reliant taking ship, Orbital Sciences Cygnus spacecraft, which is owed to flinch Monday (Oct. 27) from NASAs Wallops Leakage Workings off the sand of Virginia and come at the station the later than Sunday (Nov. 2).

A Russian Progress 56 pill atmosphere undock new Monday after aloof than three months at the station, foundation way for the entrance of the closest Russian taking construct, Progress 57, owed to flinch new Wednesday (Oct. 29). Three of the crewmembers - Wiseman, Russian cosmonaut Max Suraev and European Liberty Office astronaut Alex Gerst - are moreover preparing to leave the station in a Soyuz spacecraft on Nov. 9 after 165 time in encircle. Three aloof astronauts atmosphere come again them after that out of the ordinary Soyuz flinch in time for Decorate.

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